The Next Era of OpenX: The Intelligent SSP
OpenX announced a rebrand as the "Intelligent SSP," emphasizing AI‑driven simplicity and transparency. The company highlights three pillars—quality, performance and adaptability—backed by a cloud‑native platform and a proprietary supply‑side identity graph. By cutting intermediaries and fraud, OpenX aims to deliver higher revenue for publishers and better ROI for advertisers. The move also positions the firm as a defender of journalism and niche content as consumer attention shifts to LLMs.
The Economist Is Putting Names (and Faces) to Its Magazine
The Economist, long known for its anonymous bylines, is launching Economist Play, a new video component of its mobile app slated for summer 2026. The service will feature shows hosted by correspondents from studios in New York and London, along...
YouTube Is Raising Premium Prices in the U.S. While Denying that It's Serving up Long, Un-Skippable Ads
YouTube announced its first U.S. price increase for Premium and Music subscriptions since 2023. The individual Premium plan rises from $13.99 to $15.99 per month, the family tier jumps to $26.99, and the Lite tier goes to $8.99; Music plans...
Tackling Misinformation and Political Labels
The American Press Institute urges newsrooms to scrutinize political labels and prepare for election‑season misinformation. It recommends pre‑defining label usage, auditing recent stories, and developing transparent style‑guide entries. The guide also advises creating boilerplate fact‑checks and tracking falsehood sources to...
AI Is Reshaping Earned Media, and PR Pros Need to Adapt
Artificial intelligence is reshaping earned media by influencing editorial decisions and search discoverability. A recent study shows AI‑optimized stories are 68% more likely to be run, while 230 million weekly global health queries rely on ChatGPT, with 82% of citations drawn...
Tech Deal Promotes Conversations Between Journalists And Those Who Follow Their Stories
Noosphere, a New York‑based news platform, has signed a multiyear licensing agreement with Sky News to embed its app that lets audiences converse directly with journalists via video and text. The partnership will initially be tested with Sky’s defense and...
AI Is Nothing Without Data Fidelity. Here’s A Four-Step Approach to Protect It
AI’s effectiveness in advertising hinges on the fidelity of the data that fuels it. The industry often relies on inferred or fragmented signals, which degrade model accuracy and erode trust. A four‑step framework—starting with quality inputs, building low‑degradation infrastructure, demanding...
Meet the Newest ‘Running Point’ Character: Jake From State Farm
State Farm announced a co‑branded partnership with Netflix’s basketball comedy *Running Point*, inserting its mascot Jake from State Farm into Season 2 as a scripted character. The move marks the first time Jake appears in a television narrative rather than a...
How Jake From State Farm Made His TV Debut in Netflix’s ‘Running Point’
State Farm has teamed with Netflix for an integrated campaign around the sports comedy series “Running Point,” featuring its mascot Jake from State Farm in a first‑ever TV debut within the show. The partnership includes a co‑branded pre‑roll spot starring...
Deeper Influencer Messaging For Linear's Old-School Ad Ecosystem?
Influencer creators are increasingly being featured in traditional 30‑second linear TV spots, blurring the line between social‑media ads and broadcast commercials. Brands argue that a personal, influencer‑driven tone can counteract consumer fatigue with corporate‑sounding messaging. The article examines whether addressable...
New Lottery Podcast to Quiz Celebs on £200m Question
Allwyn, the operator of the UK National Lottery, is launching season three of its “Rich Beyond My Wildest Dreams” podcast, expanding to eight episodes with celebrities like Paloma Faith, Matt Lucas and Mo Gilligan. The series asks guests how they...
Google AdSense Will Experiment With New Ad Technology Partners
Google announced that AdSense will begin experimenting with an updated roster of commonly used ad‑technology partners on August 20, 2026, after a preliminary rollout starting April 20, 2026. The trial will assess partner performance and privacy compliance, with a full list update slated for...
Danish Jazz Artists Rage at AI Tracks Released Under Their Names
Danish jazz musicians, including Carsten Dahl, Thomas Blachman, Chris Minh Doky, Lennart Ginman and Mikkel Ploug, discovered AI‑generated tracks falsely listed under their names on Spotify. The artists complained that the fake releases cluttered their profiles and received little assistance...
Gistvox Declares War on Synthetic Noise With New Web Audio Studio
Gistvox launched a web audio studio, letting users record, edit, and publish two‑minute human‑only audio posts called Gists from any browser. The tool syncs with its iOS and Android apps, offering folder organization and cross‑platform parity. The platform enforces a...
Social Media Was Once a Great Global Conversation. Now It’s Just Individuals Locked Into Their Own Private Worlds | Tom...
Tom Whyman reflects on how social media has shifted from a global, participatory conversation to isolated, algorithm‑driven experiences. He cites Ofcom data showing UK adult posting rates dropping from 61% to 49% in a year, driven by privacy concerns, AI‑generated...
Displayce Powers Ubisoft’s Multi-Country DOOH Campaign for Just Dance 2026
Ubisoft teamed with Displayce, Artefact and VIOOH to launch a programmatic digital‑out‑of‑home (DOOH) campaign for Just Dance 2026 across the UK, France, Germany and Australia. The effort ran on 179 premium screens—86% in shopping malls—targeting families within 0.5‑1 km of key retailers such...
Paramount / Warner Bros. Discovery Merger Inquiry
The UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has opened a Phase 1 invitation to comment on the proposed merger between Paramount Global and Warner Bros. Discovery. The regulator has already received the required pre‑notification documents and is now asking any interested party to...
The Internet's Most Powerful Archiving Tool Is in Peril
The Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine, a 30‑year‑old service that has saved over a trillion web pages, is facing increasing blocks from major news publishers. USA Today, The New York Times and 21 other outlets have disabled the ia_archiverbot crawler, citing concerns that...
Friends Icon Courteney Cox's Sitcom Branded "an Absolute Treat" Lands New UK Streaming Home
The first season of Courteney Cox’s 2009 sitcom “Cougar Town” is now free to stream on the UK platform ITVX, featured in the “A Taste of Disney+” collection. All six seasons remain available on Disney+ for subscribers. The series, which ran...
Toilet Rolls Star in Recycling Wrap TV Ad Funded by Sky
Wrap, a global environmental action group, launched the "Rescue Me, Recycle" TV campaign on Sky channels, funded by a £200,000 ($255,000) grant from Sky’s Zero Footprint Fund. The ad personifies everyday items like toilet‑roll tubes to tackle the confidence gap...
TikTok, Threads and the New Disinformation Pipeline
The article warns that misinformation now spreads through a rapid, remix‑driven pipeline across TikTok and Threads before traditional media or PR teams notice it. TikTok’s content‑first algorithm and Threads’ fast‑moving reply culture let false claims gain credibility without source attribution....
Meet Chloe Cherry, the Former Adult Actress Who Plays Faye on Euphoria
Euphoria returns for a third season on April 12, leaping five years ahead as its original cast ages into young adulthood. The show reintroduces Chloe Cherry as Faye, a fan‑favorite character first seen in season two. Cherry, a former adult‑film...
How Streaming Platforms Reignited the YA Boom
Streaming giants are reviving the young‑adult (YA) boom by adapting popular books into series and films, with Netflix’s "Heartstopper" leading the charge. The genre’s resurgence follows a shift from traditional cable networks to on‑demand platforms, where short‑season formats align well...
Only a Fraction of TikTok Trends Last Beyond Two Weeks, Publicis Groupe Finds
Publicis Groupe APAC’s new study of millions of TikTok data points across seven markets finds that nearly half of trends vanish within five days, and only a small fraction survive beyond two weeks. The research shows that longevity, not initial...
Sport1 Extends DTT Distribution in Germany Until 2030
German broadcaster Sport1 has renewed its distribution agreement with Media Broadcast, keeping its HD channel on the Freenet TV DVB‑T2 platform through December 31 2030. The extension guarantees Sport1 HD remains available via digital terrestrial television to subscription‑based viewers across Germany. It...
What People Watch: Reach
Barb’s latest data shows YouTube’s monthly reach can appear larger than the BBC depending on the definition used. Using the industry‑standard 3‑minute threshold, YouTube topped the BBC on TV sets in Q4 2025, but the BBC reclaimed the lead when the...
DPP: AI Is the Dominant Driver of Transformation in the European Media Industry
The DPP’s European Media Trends 2026 report finds artificial intelligence now the primary catalyst reshaping Europe’s media sector. Survey data from 11 markets shows global streaming platforms leading the shift, while AI‑assisted development is prompting broadcasters to build more in‑house...
Analysis: Movies Carry Fewer Ads than Series on Streamers
Ampere Analysis’s new Streaming Advertising Analytics shows movies carry significantly fewer ads than TV series on U.S. streaming platforms. Movies average about three minutes of ads per hour, while series exceed five minutes, with ad breaks roughly every 36 minutes...
Data: PSB Funding Decrease Greater in France than EU Average
A consulting study using EBU data finds public‑service broadcasting (PSB) funding across 45 European nations fell from 0.18 % to 0.14 % of GDP between 2014 and 2024, an 8.6 % revenue drop. France experienced a sharper decline of 9.9 %, with its per‑capita...
BBC R&D, Rai, Jünger Audio Help EBU Drive Adoption of Object-Based Audio
The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) has launched the Audio Definition Model Implementers Group (ADM‑IG) to accelerate the deployment of Audio Definition Model (ADM) and Serial ADM across broadcast workflows. The consortium brings together broadcasters BBC R&D, Rai, BR/ARD and technology...
Stop Using AI to Scale Mediocrity
HMD Global’s Haris Munif warns that while 74% of Middle East and Africa consumers view generative‑AI ads positively—the highest global acceptance—brands are falling into the trap of churning out generic content at scale. He argues AI should be leveraged for...
The Newest Character on Netflix’s Running Point? Jake From State Farm
State Farm’s long‑running mascot Jake made a high‑profile appearance at the 2025 NBA Draft, stepping onto the red carpet, joining the anchors’ desk and appearing on the Jumbotron. The cameo underscores a growing trend of advertising characters moving into live‑event...
Digest: OpenAI Lowers Minimum Spend for Ads Pilot; Meta Pulls Ads for Addiction Lawsuits; YouTube Tests 90-Second Unskippable Ads Amid...
OpenAI has quietly launched an Ads Manager and slashed the minimum spend for its pilot program to $50,000, aiming to attract a broader range of advertisers. Meta Platforms is pulling dozens of ads that recruit plaintiffs for social‑media addiction lawsuits...
Big4Travel, Horizon FCB Launch Campaign for Those Who’d Rather Miss the FIFA World Cup 2026
Big4Travel, a leading Bangkok travel agency, teamed with Horizon FCB Dubai to launch a contrarian campaign ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026. Instead of joining the flood of football‑centric promotions, the brand offered a travel guide to "Non‑Qualified Countries" and...
Freely Opens New Revenue Stream for CTV OS Partners with Spotlight Channels
Freely, the free‑to‑air TV guide owned by BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and 5, will roll out "Spotlight Channels" later this year, allocating channel 31 and channels 90‑99 to CTV operating‑system partners. V, the company behind the VIDAA OS used on Hisense smart TVs, is...
NAB 2026, Via LA, and the Future of NDI|HX
NAB 2026 highlighted the growing tension between NDI|HX’s low‑bandwidth 4K delivery and new licensing costs introduced by the Via Licensing Alliance (Via LA). Via LA replaced its flat $100,000 annual cap with a tiered structure that can reach $4.5 million for the biggest...
From Media Channel to Brand Architecture: How Influencer Marketing Grew Up
Influencer marketing in the Middle East has evolved from a budget‑line vanity channel into a core, always‑on pillar of the marketing mix. Brands now run multi‑month creator programmes that simultaneously drive brand awareness, generate platform‑native content, and deliver measurable sales...
Special Editions, Seasonal Podcasts, and the Art of Low-Key Book Marketing with Sara Rosett
Indie author Sara Rosett, a USA Today bestseller, has moved away from traditional retailer‑first launches toward a low‑key, personality‑driven marketing model. She now sells directly through a Shopify store, runs seasonal mystery podcasts, and leverages special editions, Kickstarter campaigns, and...
Set Designers Weigh the Real Cost of News Networks Looking Like Podcasts
CNN has revamped the sets of Anderson Cooper 360 and The Lead, moving them from polished studios to a newsroom backdrop that mimics a podcast vibe. The redesign features exposed microphones, a large Middle‑East image backdrop, and a more casual dress code for...
"Compelling" New Thriller with Slow Horses and Sherwood Stars Is on TV Tonight
Channel 5 launches "Missed Call," a four‑part thriller starring Joanna Scanlan and Robert Lindsay, premiering Monday, 13 April at 9 pm. The drama follows single mother Sarah, played by Scanlan, as she races to France after a missed call from her daughter, who disappears...
The Cockroach of Marketing Concepts Will Never Die
Elias St. Elmo Lewis coined the AIDA model in 1898, laying the groundwork for the marketing funnel that still structures strategy today. Amazon’s recent Immersion Day unveiled AI‑powered Full‑Funnel Campaigns that automate the move from awareness to conversion using the same funnel...
Audio Ads Are Coming to 6,000 More Dollar General Stores
Dollar General is expanding its in‑store audio advertising network, partnering with retail ad‑tech firm Qsic to equip an additional 6,000 locations. The rollout will bring audio ads to 12,000 stores—about half of the retailer’s 21,000‑store footprint—by the end of Q2....
ADWEEK Agencies Advantage: Publicis Groupe Takes a Major Shot to Grab Sports Spend
Live sports remains the only mass‑media format where audiences gather in real time, giving brands a rare chance at cultural relevance at scale. Ad buyers now expect sports to account for roughly 60% of their upfront media spend, up from...
Possible Wants to Be Davos for Adland
Possible, the Miami‑based media and marketing conference that debuted with an Elon Musk keynote in 2023, is entering its fourth year with a larger footprint and a fresh YouTube partnership. Attendance is expected to reach about 6,800, a 25% increase...
UK PM Keir Starmer Declares War on Doomscrolling
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer told BBC Radio that endless scrolling on Instagram and TikTok is a public‑health problem and urged platforms to curb addictive mechanisms. He announced a government consultation on banning social‑media accounts for anyone under 16, with a...
Trust, Truth and the Future of Media Leadership
Rabih Saab, Group Head of Media at Publsh Group, argues that the timeless values of truth, fairness and accountability remain essential even as the news ecosystem accelerates and fragments. In the UAE, the media sector is receiving heightened investment in...
Industry Snapshot: The New Social Playbook
Brands are shifting from platform‑first to audience‑first ecosystems, concentrating spend on fewer high‑impact channels and treating owned social feeds as media products. AI is redefining content planning, moving decisions from intuition to data‑driven signals while accelerating iteration. Creator partnerships have...
Pinterest Pushes Real-World Inspiration as Social Media Backlash Grows
Pinterest has launched a new campaign urging users to put their phones down and seek real‑world inspiration, marking the first major initiative under new CMO Claudine Cheever. The 60‑second spot stitches together home movies from the 1950s‑80s and is narrated...
The Chase UK to Pause?
Speculation is swirling that ITV's long‑running quiz show The Chase could suspend production for a year, fueled by crew concerns and rumors that host Bradley Walsh may move to Strictly Come Dancing. An unnamed source described financial anxiety among staff,...
Why CTV Is Becoming The First Real Test Of Agentic Advertising
Connected TV (CTV) ad inventory is expanding rapidly, but its highly customized deals clash with traditional real‑time bidding (RTB) workflows. Publishers must juggle premium placements, audience targeting, and guaranteed delivery across disparate systems, creating friction, slower cycles, and missed revenue....